Retailers that once tried to compete with e-commerce giants have long since shifted to become giants in their own right. Today, retail is shifting again, weaving digital into every aspect of operations, largely driven by brands need to anticipate individual customers’ evolving desires. Additionally, over a decade of transformation has sparked a shift in consumer habits and…

A new generation of visual tools is now available to bring the physical environment into the shopping process, allowing consumers to locate, evaluate and share products in new ways. Thanks to the near ubiquity of smartphones, consumers are viewing — and creating — more visual content than ever. This has made image-centric social media networks among…

Fueled by the collective effort of dozens of new luxury-specific technology solutions in the market, the online shopping experience continues to evolve, adopting the best features of brick-and-mortar stores. Unfortunately, in the click vs. brick war, digital retail is still the weaker competitor as it’s tough to bring the emotions and engagement of physical retail…

Tenth Street Hats, a Los Angeles-based online retailer of designer hats, was challenged like many online apparel and accessories brands to simulate the in-store experiences shoppers can get from touching and trying on products in real life, and seeing how they look on their bodies before making a purchase. To help address this challenge, Tenth…

With the holidays upon us, tis’ the season for e-commerce to be jolly! Retailers and merchants look forward to this time of year as it's the most gratifying period in terms of sales. However, they must be well prepared, as thousands of consumers are about to storm any online fortress to get the best possible…

Amazon.com is reportedly inviting customers into a New York office to measure their body shapes and sizes over a 20-week period in an effort to improve the shopping experience for customers. According to The Wall Street Journal, twice a month volunteers (chosen from a survey) will visit the office in order to allow Amazon to…

Furniture and kitchenware giant Williams-Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) is acquiring augmented reality (AR) startup Outward in an all-cash deal for $112 million. The furniture brand, which operates stores including Williams-Sonoma, Pottery Barn, West Elm and others, will be using the startup’s 3-D imaging tech to “enhance and extend its high-touch customer service platform,” the company says. Outward, founded…